Shahbaz sets up Rs500m fund for IDPs

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has set up CM’s Relief Fund for the displaced persons of Fata and a sum of Rs 500 million has been deposited in the fund on behalf of Punjab government.The chief minister, provincial ministers and assembly members of PML-N have donated their one month’s salary for the fund.The chief minister in his appeal to the people said that the nation was fully supporting Ghazis and martyrs of Pak Army as well as the displaced persons with its prayers, life and property and all other belongings at this crucial hour. He said philanthropists and well-to-do persons should come forward and donate generously to Chief Minister’s Relief Fund so that maximum assistance could be provided to the displaced persons. He said that Punjab government will continue to extend full cooperation till the return of displaced persons to their homes and their complete rehabilitation while relief items will also be provided in accordance with their needs.He said Punjab government and the people of the province were with their brothers and sisters in Fata who had been displaced in the war against terrorism and they would not be left alone in this moment of trial. Shahbaz said Pakistan was passing through critical phase of its history and facing internal and external security challenges. He said Pakistani nation was in a state of war and officers and Jawans of Pak Army were fighting against terrorists in the war for the survival of the country. The chief minister further said that it was essential that the whole nation should unite on one platform to purge the country of the menace of terrorism. He said the need for unity was more than ever now and the scourge of terrorism will have to be rooted out for making Pakistan a cradle of peace and harmony. “Every segment of the society will have to play his role for bringing the country out of the quagmire of problems”. Shahbaz said Pakistan Muslim League-N government was making sincere efforts for the progress and development of the country and to make it a welfare state. He said under these circumstances, politics of protest was totally unjustified and tantamount to creating hurdles in the journey towards progress and development. “In view of security threats, sit-ins, public meetings, rallies and agitation are totally against the interest of the country. The elements engaged in politics of agitation should let the progress and development process go on uninterrupted in the interest of the nation instead of creating hurdles”. He said government led by Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was determined to steer the country out of crises and the day was not far off when Pakistan would become a haven of peace, energy crisis and terrorism would be eliminated, economic activities would accelerate and Pakistan would become a strong economic force. “Solid economic policies of the government are yielding positive results and due to the steps taken by the government, foreign exchange reserves have gone up and Pakistani currency has become stabilized.